Zeng Rui works on a porcelain sculpture at his studio in Jingdezhen, east China's Jiangxi Province, March 12, 2026. A porcelain sculpture of arhat, housed in the Jingdezhen China Ceramics Museum, has gained Internet fame after netizens nicknamed it the "Speechless Buddha" for its endearingly charming expression. The artwork was created over 80 years ago by Zeng Longsheng, a master of Chinese porcelain art who established a long-standing family reputation for porcelain sculpture.

Zeng Rui, 36, is a fourth-generation inheritor of the family legacy. In 2011, he returned home to study ceramics under his father, mastering various sculpturing techniques. After the "Speechless Buddha" went viral in 2023, he set up a studio to recreate the original work and develop cultural and creative products inspired by it. For Zeng Rui, tradition is the foundation. By preserving classic themes and techniques while reinterpreting them for a contemporary audience, time-honored art can be revitalized. (Xinhua/Zhou Mi)

This photo taken on March 12, 2026 shows a porcelain sculpture made by Zeng Rui's studio in Jingdezhen, east China's Jiangxi Province.(Xinhua/Zhou Mi)

Zeng Rui works on a porcelain sculpture at his studio in Jingdezhen, east China's Jiangxi Province, March 12, 2026.(Xinhua/Zhou Mi)

Zeng Rui checks cultural and creative products inspired by the "Speechless Buddha" at his studio in Jingdezhen, east China's Jiangxi Province, March 12, 2026.(Xinhua/Zhou Mi)

Cultural and creative products inspired by the "Speechless Buddha" are pictured at Zeng Rui's studio in Jingdezhen, east China's Jiangxi Province, March 12, 2026.(Xinhua/Zhou Mi)

Zeng Rui works on a porcelain sculpture at his studio in Jingdezhen, east China's Jiangxi Province, March 12, 2026.(Xinhua/Zhou Mi)

Zeng Rui displays porcelain sculpture made by his family predecessors at his studio in Jingdezhen, east China's Jiangxi Province, March 12, 2026.(Xinhua/Zhou Mi)

Zeng Rui works on a replica of the "Speechless Buddha" at his studio in Jingdezhen, east China's Jiangxi Province, March 12, 2026.(Xinhua/Zhou Mi)